


Countdown Zero

by babylearnedtoread



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Cyberpunk, Alternate Universe - Future, Anal Sex, BAMF Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), BAMF Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Blood and Gore, Bottom Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Cyberpunk, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Smut, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, First Time, Fluff and Angst, Future Fic, Hurt Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), M/M, Modern Royalty, Not Beta Read, Oral Sex, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rebellion, Science Fiction, Sexual Tension, Top Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), kinda i guess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-13 14:42:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29902647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/babylearnedtoread/pseuds/babylearnedtoread
Summary: Cyberpunk AUThe world has turned in the past 1000 years into a toxic wasteland, technology being the only reason Earth is still populated. But supplies have been thinning more and more and governments restored back to monarchical methods are turning against the people.Dream is trying to find his voice and take back his rights as the prince of Unit 3, but soon becomes the most wanted man.While on the run, he learns that he knows nothing about the true horrors of this world.At least he doesn't have to face them alone.
Relationships: Clay | Dream/Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 43
Kudos: 187





	1. Unit 3

**Author's Note:**

> god i really hope this doesn't flop cause i really like the idea

3021, March 7  
Unit 3 

City, state, continent, borders blurred by despair. A unit, that's all it is now. A number. A rank above others in power, below few in resources. 

A toxic wasteland. Or so it'd seem. Life still roams through the barren lands once green and blue, now drained of life. 

This is life now, not green and vibrant, that's not even a memory, hasn't been in a long time. All that's living and breathing knows only survival and acceptance of death. 

Fear caused unity, independence forgotten in exchange for a common goal: survival. Cities united, countries merged and all sharing one patch of land became number 3 in 7 total, previously known as continents. 

But in reality the only real unification was between the powerful, the rich, the privileged. While they built their society around the only things keeping them alive, resources and technology, the rest were left to fend for themselves. 

It's not a surprise, it happend to all the other 6 units. The king locked himself behind iron walls to protect his child, dying wife and upper class from starved masses that threaten the resources. 

It's only fair, right?

Dream sighed, hugging his knee closer to his chest, the other dangling over the edge of the wall. He stuck his knife through a dent and lifted the piece of metal, watching a few bug like creatures shimmy out and slide down the edge of the wall. 

He looks back to what perviously caught his attention. His stomach turns. The pile of decomposed flesh washed to the shore by the water has been growing bigger and bigger. 

They called it the Cleanse. It started to happen right after his parents died. They asked him to participate in the meeting, the fact that he was 11 irrelevant to them, and he had to sit through it all. 

They made a lot of decisions that day. It didn't matter that their king and queen were no more, no one mourned, not even him. He was never given the chance to do it properly. 

He had to listen to them talk about lives like they owned them and didn't need them anymore. "They are sick", they said, "there's no reason to let them suck on our supplies, they're a waste."  
A waste. "They're people", a child tried, that's all a child can do. "They're leeches, prince Dream!" 

They're people. 

Counting the black creatures, flying above the rotting pile. Not even they fly as high anymore, with their slimy skin, crooked beaks and sharp claws that can rip flesh right off the bones, made to soar through the acid storms.  
The air, if you can still call it that, must be getting even more unbreathable up there. He's seen them fall to the ground, convulsing from the amounts of carbon dioxide, or they just fly too high into the atmosphere and burn. 

Burn. Like they burn the people that still trust them, the people they swore to protect. And they just throw them in the pitch black waters to be eaten by whatever gets them first, the acid or the teeth of the creatures that still reside there. 

He hears it, it's approaching steadily, but he's not in a hurry. He's calculated many times before how long it takes him to get across District Three and Two and back into District One. 

The storm seems to be pushed forward a lot faster by the winds, though, so he taps behind his ear two times to make the mask go up over his eyes and puts his hood over his head just in case the wind decides to blow the rain into his face. 

He checks the time written in yellow on the top left of his mask. The numbers glitch for a second. Hm, he might have to look into that when he gets home. 

The run home is uneventful, jumping from roof to roof to make sure he isn't noticed by anyone and slips right back through the window in his room. That's one of the few they still have around the Alcatraz, because Dream insisted he had some form of contact with the outer world. His little escape route, but they didn't have to know that. 

The Alcatraz, also known by others as SMP567, but Dream doesn't like to call it that. That name is a nighmare to say, not unlike the actual building, but Dream finds the Alcatraz a lot more fitting. He named it after he found old writings about an inescapable prison, located on an island. 

No one understands why he calls it that. No one knows why it's so fitting either. They hide it well. But he knows, he knows because he is the one that does it all, right? 

Inside the walls they praise their king and kind queen. Inside the Alcatraz, they bow to their prince's every wish. Outside the walls he thinks there's nothing they believe in anymore. 

So the prince closed the gates, the prince takes care of the districts, the prince sacrifices the weak to keep the balance. 

The prince doesn't. He has no voice, no will, he has a title out of his reach that means nothing to them. 

"Them". The Crown, they are "them". Parasites and he's the host. They called themselves the Crown, and they never let him forget this, because they are what gives him power. 

What power? He has no power, not even over himself. He's never had it, not since his parents fed him to them by leaving him alone, daring to die. 

He lets out a shaky laugh. His father used to call them titans, laugh with him at their false sense of importance. He found it amusing that they thought sometimes they could trick him, make him think they knew better. 

Dream would've laughed too, but he was 11. He was too young to be king, he could only rule with the Crowns guidance, their approval. 

He's always known his worth, he knows he means a lot more than them, but it doesn't matter. He can't fight them, disobey them, they have everything and everyone in the Alcatraz. 

"Dream, are you back?" A voice whispers from the other side of his door. Dream smiles. 

Almost everyone.

"Hey, Sap, what-", he studies the panicked face of his friend, then the fingers curlying and uncurlying over the weapon shoved in his face. 

"Shhh, dude, I'm sorry, but we don't have much time. I'm not even supposed to be here. They'll send someone else soon." 

"Sapnap, what the hell is-" 

"Just listen, okay?" Sapnap's voice is shaking and tears are sliding down his face and over the mask covering the bottom half of his face. "They want to get rid of you, like they did with your father. They said your 18th birthday is coming up and you've been stating your displeasure with their decisions a lot more lately. They don't want to risk it so they're sending someone to take you out." 

Dream can't say he wasn't expecting it. He has a bag under his bed for that exact reason. Another person slides into the room, pressing the button urgently for the door to slide shut behind them. 

They deactivate the top half of their mask and grab Sapnap's arm, yanking it down. 

"What the hell are you doing, are you trying to scare him?" George shakes the other by the shoulders. He then turns to Dream. 

"Get everything you can, I'll carry it so it doesn't seem suspicious, but it can't be too much. We need to get you out and they have to believe we're taking you to your execution." 

Dream's already on the floor, prying open the piece of metal under his bed he's been hiding his bag under. His eyes shoot up. 

"Everyone knows?" 

George takes the bag from him. "No, but a good amount of the Shields know. Everyone else won't bat an eye because you always have guards with you anyway. Anyone with a weapon, though, they can't know it's us two or they'll figure it out." 

"Okay, but where are we going?" 

Sapnap answers this time, mask already covering his whole face. "Out." 

"Out where? The Crown has shields in every district." 

George is looking out the foggy window, clutching the bag closw to his chest. "Not every district."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> something freaky just happened  
> i was sure it's march 7 but when i posted it, it said march 8 so i changed it in the story to march 8 and when i refreshed it said it's march 7   
> what is this witchcraft


	2. The Rift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the right place at the right time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gotta write while i still feel the divine power of the writing gods, you know?

3021, March 7 

Slums, Unit 3 

"Fundy, you fucking fox, what did you do to my bike?" 

"It was in my shop, i swear, i was just upgrading it!" The fox hybrid stumbles on his feet and falls face first into a puddle. He lifts his head, wiping the mask with his arm to be able to see through it again. 

A gloved hand snatches him off the ground by the back of his neck and he's faced by the pig hybrid, who growls at him. "Then where is she?" 

A low hum approaches them, then a quick swish and a pink light flies over their heads. The young boy riding the vehicle cheers gleefully. "This is fucking amazing, Fundy, how did you make it this fast?" 

The pig hybrid drops Fundy and lets out a sustained whistle that among the 3 people present only two can hear. Well, two and a bike. 

The bike takes a quick turn, messing with the boy's balance and when it comes to a stop to hover in front of him, the boy is left to hang from it upside down. 

His face is close to the pig hybrid and he hears him gulp. "Techno-", he opens his arms to the sides in a friendly manner, "...brother! Sweet ride, thanks for letting me try it, best brother, favorite brother!" 

Techno growls. "Get off, Tommy." The bike seems to respond first, tilting to the side and dropping the blond boy in the mud. 

Techno ignores the boy's complaints and turns to the other. "Is there something that's going to kill me if i take her for a ride now?" 

The fox shakes his head and clears his throat. "No, you're good, i was done for now anyway. But i didn't show you what the updates do ye-" 

Techno is already on it and the bike purrs, excited for that first push of the acceleration. "I'll figure it out." And with a swish he's out of sight. 

Techno's been scouring the edges of the wall for two years now, looking for the immigrants. The others didn't think it was a good idea that the inlands were getting into their territory when it should've been the other way and he didn't either. At least at first, before he finally talked to the blond that was always there to help them pass through the rift in the wall. 

He knows nothing about him, why he does it or why he's the only one that knows about the rift. If anyone else knew, they would have closed it a long time ago. 

He told Techno he's trying to save them, sick children that would meet the same end as the bodies that wash up on shore every day. So he started helping the blond, picking them up and helping them find shelter, food, family. He'd sometimes manage to send them out in the Slums with some supplies of their own.  
He didn't get to talk to him often, however, sometimes the blond not even coming anywhere near the rift, keeping watch from the top of the wall. Techno has climbed up there himself a few times, watching the blond throught the force field covering the 3 districts. 

He never saw his whole face however. His voice is all he knows. His voice and green eyes...spirited green like he's never seen in his whole 19 years of life. 

Techno hasn't seen anyone come through the rift in two months. Last time they did, the blond told him he thinks they're onto him and he won't be able to come anymore. He promised he would try to get people there somehow anyway. 

He seems to have failed. Techno hopes he's okay. 

He watches the rift from a distance, waiting for any movement. The bike is hovering in silence, the pink lights turned off to be as invisible as possible. 

He waits for an hour or two and nothing happens. Techno looks at his wrist. A message from Wilbur. 

Wilbur>> I don't think think they're coming, man, just come back. Fundy said he has something to show us. 

Techn<< I'll be back in 10. 

He grabs the handlebars and turns them twice. The bike starts purring and it lights up. Just as he's about to leave, he sees movement from the corner of his eye. 

Techno silences his bike again and stills. A head covered by a green hood peeks through the hole in the wall. Two hands throw a bag through it first, then the rest of the body jumps through it, falling on its feet with little to no sound. 

Another hand reaches outside and grabs the hood of the person and it falls on their back, revealing a head of blond hair. Techno's breath hitches. 

The blond turns and grabs the hand in his, guiding it to his mask, cupping his face. Then it retreats and and alarm starts blaring, startling the hybrid. 

He almost leaves again, not wanting to get mixed into that mess, but two other figures make their way through the hole. They catch the blond, one wrapping his arms around the boy, trapping his arms and the other trying to avoid the desperate kicking of his legs. The latter wraps a hand around his neck, a lot less gentle than the one previously cupping his face. 

Techno doesn't think. He's driving at full speed towards the 3 figures, reaching for the blade on his back and slashing at the back of the one holding the blond. The other releases his hold on the boy's throat and Techno takes the opportunity to grab the blond's waist and throw him in front of him on the bike. 

They're definitely going to close the rift now. 

The alarms stop after a few minutes and they've already put a considerable distance between them and the wall. 

He leans forward, closer to the other's ear to make sure he hears him through the wheezing sound of the wind. "They won't come, they never do, especially when they're unprepared like this. They're too scared." 

The blond nods, tightening his grip on Techno's arms, which he hasn't noticed until now that he was holding for dear life. 

Techno smiles under his mask. He takes an unexpected turn just for fun and hears the other yelp. 

The bike bolts through the opening in the ground and follows the tunnel with ease. Techno doesn't even have to do much, other than hit the break as fast as possible when he sees the blond man standing with his arms crossed in the middle of the base. 

The vehicle stops inches away from the man's torso, but the determination on his face tell Techno the bike would've dented from the impact and he would've still not moved. 

"Phil." 

"Techno." 

"Can i help you?" 

"What is this? You said 10 minutes, Techno, and you're not answering to anyone's messages." The man's eyes roam over the stranger and he feels the boy trying to fit deeper into Techno's arms. 

"I was a little busy." Techno jumps off the bike and grabs the blond's waist to help him down. The yelp he lets out tells him he should've probably asked first. 

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Who is this?" Phil points at the bloodied blade resting on Techno's back. "Were the alarms your fault?" 

"He escaped through the hole and i had to help him out a little. It's not a big deal." 

"Not a big deal? Techno, he could he a spy! How can you be so reckless? I would've expected this from Wilbur or Tommy, but you?" 

Tommy lets out an indignant huff from behind Phil. Techno now notices they have an audience, Wilbur, Tommy and Fundy watching the exchange. 

"He's not a spy, and if he is, he won't get out of here with any information or at all for that matter." He feels the blond tense under his hands and Techno realizes he's been holding his waist this whole time. 

He releases it startled like he'd been burned and apologizes. The boy only nods. 

"That is not how you handle things, Techno, and you know it. You never trust anyone, how can you trust him?" Phil sounds more and more frustrated with Techno. 

"Who said i trust him? I just think he might not be exactly a stranger." Techno turns to look at the boy. "I do know you, don't i?" 

The blond lifts his right hand and everyone tenses, Phil reaching for his gun. He stops for a second and Techno notices the slight tremor of his hand. He finally reaches the side of his head and taps twice, eyes trained on Techno. 

The mask slides down revealing the top part of his face. Spirited green eyes. 

"I couldn't keep my promise." Tears slide down the boy's cheeks. "I'm sorry."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just winging it, man  
> no thoughts, head empty, only cyberpunk!Techno
> 
> i have another chapter written but those numbers aren't looking too good so I'm gonna have to hold onto it a little longer lol


	3. The Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dream decides he has to do more than just run away, he has to fight back. He needs help too.

3021, March 7 

Slums, Unit 3 

He'd recognize that pink hair anywhere. He'd seen it every month for 2 years. But if he's being honest, the man is the last person Dream would expect to be saved by. 

Not that he wasn't grateful, but he could feel himself grow anxious as he realized they were driving deeper into district 4 and the man hasn't said anything yet. He could throw his ass off the moving bike any second or take him home to feed him to his family. He doesn't know the guy. 

His words are still ringing in his head, sounding more threatening than maybe he meant. Or do they? Maybe it was a threat.   
"No one will come."  
No one is coming for you, Dream, you're alone. Your friends can't help you now. 

Your friends...what will happen to them? They might be on the next boat, thrown to the fish by next week. 

He fills bile rising in his throat, but tries to swallow it back down so he doesn't make a fool of himself. 

Looking to his right, he manages to make out some of his surroundings even at the speed they're moving. 

Everything looks a lot more alive from down here, at least this close tot the wall.   
If it weren't for the stench and overall decay the neon lights and music blasting through speakers would make the streets look quite lively. 

He tries to focus on some of the faces they pass and he notices not all are wearing masks. He knows the gazes are not going to kill you immediately, not yet at least, maybe in a few years, but they still take a good amount of years from your life. 

And with the lack of proper medicine that he assumes they have around here, you could say it's deadly to spend this much time without a mask out in the open. 

Engineers and biologists have managed to find a few hundred years back a way to purify the air in rooms, which made it a lot safer inside, but he doubts all these people have that luxury. It's not uncommon or an upper class thing, but by the look of their buildings, they don't seem to care as much as fixing holes in walls.   
Dream turns his head to look ahead in tine to notice that the other man is driving directly towards the ground. He lets out an embarrassing squeek that he hopes the other doesn't pick up on and digs his fingers into the man's arms. 

The ground opens up revealing a hole large enough to ease Dream's mind, but the sight at the end of the tunnel makes his anxiety spike up again. 

He yelps when the other decides to take him off the bike himself and he would protest the manhandling if he didn't realize he was now surrounded by a bunch of strangers in an underground facility, far enough to not be heard when he screams. 

Not that he'd have who to scream for. 

He almost zones out of the conversation the two are having, looking around the cold room. He shivers. 

He gets out of his daze when he hears the pink haired man talk about him not getting out with any information and he becomes very aware of the hands on him. The other seems to notice too and he retracts them with an apology. 

Everything feels like a dream. His eyes start stinging. Is he crying? George and Sapnap, they're in danger. They won't be able to get out now. He'll never see them again. No one will ever get out of there willingly. He fucked up. It's all his fault. 

His chest starts heaving. He hears the pink haired man talk to him. 

"I do know you, don't i?" 

He can't breathe. Swallowing hard, he tries to get his breathing back to normal. He needs the mask off, he can't stand it right now. But he can't take it off so he has to settle for just his eyes. 

They're expecting him to attack. He wants to laugh. What, do they think he's that stupid? 

"I'm sorry." The words make it worse, the realization that he fucked things up for everyone else too, that they're going to close the rift and patrol the edges of the wall 24/7. 

A pair of hands wrap tightly around his waist, bringing him into a chest and that's all he registers before he blacks out.   
His head hurts like a bitch when he wakes up. At least he can be grateful for the low light. 

He's not alone, he can feel eyes on him. Should he just close back his eyes? It'd give him more time to come up with a plan of action. 

Footsteps approach him and he freezes, not even daring to blink. The pink-haired man comes into view, looming over him, blue and green lights casting terrifying shadows on his face. 

He looks a lot younger than Dream imagined, might as well be Dream's age. Pink strands of hair fall over his forehead and the eyebrows knitted together. Red eyes stare back at him, searching something, analyzing and Dream's throat feels painfully dry. 

He has a pointy nose, high cheekbones, pointy ears with a bunch of piercings and a sharp jaw, clenching and unclenching as the man, or maybe boy, continues to watch him. He licks his lips slowly in concentration. Dream shivers panic-stricken. 

Another pair of feet make their way towards the bed. The other, also a male if he's not mistaken, is wearing a beanie, fluffy, curly bangs falling over his left eye. He raises one eyebrow and grinning at the other and then at Dream. 

"I'm sorry for doubting you brother, you're right, he's pretty enough to be kept around." 

The other scoffs. "I didn't say he's pretty-" 

"But he is, isn't he?" His question is ignored. 

"-or that we're keeping him." 

Dream rolls his eyes on instinct at the statement. Is he some kind of pet to these people? He fears the answer. 

The beanie boy laughs. "He has an attitude too, Techno, you've hit the jackpot!" 

A new voice joins the conversation. "You're scaring him, Wilbur. Knock it off!" 

"Chill out, Fundy, i was just joking around. My God, blondie, you're getting all the males riled up already!" The boy laughs again. 

"Enough, Wilbur, i need him functional for the interogation." He recognizes this voice. It's the man Techno was arguing with before he passed out. 

"Can you sit up?" The man asks and Techno offers him a hand which he gladly accepts as he doesn't trust his own muscles to sustain him fully just yet. 

"Shall we start? My name is Phil." The blond male drags a chair across the room and sits in front of Dream. "This is my eldest, Wilbur, Techno you know already-" 

"Nice to know I'm loved in this fucking family!" A blond, younger boy strolls inside. "I'm your son too, Philza, am i not worth mentioning?" 

The man sighs. "I was getting to you, kid." 

The boy scoffs and extends his hand towards Dream with a bright smile. "Tommy, the coolest person you've ever met." Dream let's out a snort, accepting the handshake. 

"F-Fundy." A red-head steps from behind Techno and Wilbur and waves shily with a smile at Dream. Dream returns the small smile. 

His eyes go wide. "My mask!" 

"It's okay, the system is on, you're safe to breathe." Phil reassures him. 

"So..." Tommy rocks on his heels a few times, looking at Dream expectantly. Dream tilts his head confused. 

"Your name?" Techno finally asks. 

"Oh." Should he lie? No, why would he? This is his life now. "Dream." 

"Dream." Techno repeats slowly and Wilbur smiles. 

"Beautiful name", Fundy chimes in. "I think it suits you." 

"Thank you." He feels the tension in his shoulders ease for a second but it doesn't last long. 

"We're going to need a lot more from you than a name if you want to stay." Phil's voice startles him. 

"S-stay?" 

Tommy is bouncing his leg impatiently. "Techno told us you're running from the dogs, we kinda figured you'd hang around if you don't want to get shot in the ass in the upper districts." 

"Dogs?" 

Tommy squints his eyes at him. "The fuckers with guns that go pew pew at you for fun?" 

Dream nods in understanding. "You mean the shields. Yeah, they're not too fond of me right now." 

"Care to explain why?" Techno crosses his arms over his chest. 

"I-" Is it a smart idea to tell them? "I can't." 

"You can't." Techno deadpans. "You can't? I might have gotten them on my ass fo you!" 

Dream doesn't dare look at them, looking down at his hands. "If i tell you, do you promise to listen to me? Please?" 

Wilbur laughs. "Oh well, if you're asking so nicely." 

"Let him talk." Phil touches Dream's hand, causing him to look at the older man. "We promise." 

He swallows hard, his throat still painfully dry. "I'm not just from inside the walls. I had to escape from district 1. They are trying to kill me because my birthday is tomorrow. I'm going to be 18 and they're afraid." He pauses to search on their faces any sign of a rection from them. 

Phil silently asks for permission to speak and Dream nods. "What are you saying, Dream? What has your birthday got to do with any of this?" 

Tommy's loud voice makes Dream flinch, his head still feeling heavy. "Yeah, last time i checked, being 18 isn't illegal." 

He's biting his lip, picking at his black gloves, trying to do anything else than continue talking. His eyes lock on Techno's. 

"My title is that of a prince. I'm the prince of this Unit. I'm supposed to be king when i turn 18, but the Crown doesn't want that." 

Techno's ears twitch and Dream notices a pair of short tusks grow from under Techno's bottom lip. A low rumble comes from deep within his chest and Dream freezes. His eyes are stinging and a few tears spill, but he doesn't dare to make a sound as the young male grabs his shoulders in a crushing grip and growls in his face. "You...you egotistical little brat! It's you? This is all your fault! You and your stupid parents!" 

Two pairs of hands yank Techno off Dream and Fundy lets Dream fall into his arms. 

"Let him talk, Techno!" Phil is struggling to speak as he and Wilbur try to hold the other back. 

Dream is still silently letting the tears fall, but something builds up inside him. It explodes out of him, all the exhaustion, the frustration. He finds the courage to answer, shouting back into Techno's face. 

"It's not their fault, don't you dare talk about them like that! It's the Crown! It's always been the fucking Crown! They want to kill me or worse, because they know i want to destroy them! And i will, i fucking will!" Techno seems to calm down, shocked by the sudden outburst. He still looks at him with disgust. 

"Who the fuck is that?" He turns to respond directly to Tommy. "A group of powerful people that have been working a lot more behind the royal family's back than alongside us as they should have." 

Royal family, hah, what family? It's just him. But he doesn't owe them a sob story. 

"You're the fucking rulers, why the fuck are you letting them do anything?" Techno's voice sounds more human now than the animalistic growl he threatened Dream with moments ago. 

"Because i don't have a choice, not until I'm king!" He sighs, trying to calm his breathing. He looks at each one of them. "I don't care what you think of me, i know what i need to do and that's all i care about. So are you going to help me or not?" 

Phil hums and they all fall silent again. The only thing that Dream can hear is the sound of the numerous neon lighs around them and the ragged breathing of Techno. His tusks seem to have retracted back into his mouth. 

"Why would we? How does it concern us?" Phil finally speaks. 

"This isn't the princess protection program. We don't care about your home problems," Techno adds. 

Dream glares at him. "It's not about me. You want a better life? So do i, but there's way too many things staying in the way of that. We need to cut the problem at the root." 

Techno slaps his hand next to Dream's thigh and the bed rattles. He leans close enough to Dream's face for him to feel the hot air ghost over his cheek and he talks in a low voice that gives him goosebumps down the whole left side of his body. "You don't get to talk about a better life." 

His head turning to face Techno causes their noses to brush against each other. "You don't know shit about me." 

Phil clears his throat and Techno is the first one to step back. "We have been working on something ourselves." "An inside view might be exactly what we needed. It's beneficial for everyone. It's a deal." 

Tommy smiles surpised at his father's decision and Wilbur's mouth formes a small smile. Techno's face remains unreadable. 

Fundy grabs Dream's hand hesitantly, but with a bright smile on his face. "Welcome to the team! Let's get you something to eat, yeah?" 

Dream nods and follows Fundy in standing up. He hears Techno scoff behind them, muttering under his breath. "Ignorant tyrants." 

Dream turns on his heels and walks in front of the other, face inches away from Techno's despite the height difference, Dream being about a head shorter than the other. "I owe you a favor for saving me, but until then go fuck yourself." 

The young male frowns but he can't mask his surprise. Dream hears Wilbur and Tommy snicker before he leaves the room, dragging Fundy out the first door he sees hoping it's the right direction. 

Once they're out of the room, he can finally breathe properly. 

"Wait!" Tommy's yelling and running after them. "Wait, you're cool, big D, I'm coming with!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not that proud of this one but eh


	4. Tweet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A close friend delivers an important message to Dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i took sooooooo long to find a fucking name ffs and still found the worst one possible  
> you'll see what i mean
> 
> btw if you've never read any of my works you must learn i barely ever proof read lol

"That sounds stupid." Tommy shoves another spoon of food in his mouth. "So if it doesn't work why keep it up?" 

Dream shakes his head. "To make outsiders believe it still does. No one's tried in years to climb that wall, so a hologram of a forcefield was enough to keep intruders away." 

"Well that's shit." The younger boy says with finality and Dream laughs. 

"So that's what you've been using all the resources on this god forsaken land for? Shit that doesn't work or help anyone?" The pig hybrid walks into the kitchen area, leaning against the far wall. "Humanity is saved." 

Dream open his mouth to make a suitably cutting retort to Techno's remarks but any thought dies immediately when a pair of footsteps rush down the hallway accompanied by frantic screams. 

Tommy stands up to peek out the door and two bodies crash right into him, sending all three of them to the floor. Fundy is shaking his head next to Dream. 

Tommy's hand manages to emerge from under the pile of limbs and Techno helps him up. 

"What the fuck? What did you idiots do?" 

The blond helps the other two to their feet. Two teens, about 16, just like Tommy, are clutching their chests trying to catch their breath. By the sweat running down their faces, they must've been running for a while. 

One of then is taller than anyone in the room, even Techno and Wilbur, who came to see what the ruckus was all about. His hair is half white and half black, meeting at the back of his head into a small braid and bangs falling messily over his eyes as he keeps his head down while he struggles to breathe. 

His posture finally straightens as he takes one deep inhale and he looks at the rest of the group. His eyes are vibrant like two neon lighta, one red and one green. He tries to speak but his voice dies down. 

The other teen has brown hair and icy blue eyes, small pointy horns coming out through the top of his head. He's more successful in finding the strength to speak than his friend, as he throws a bag on the floor in the middle of the room. 

"We found-" he swallows, "we found it in a ditch and when we were halfway home it started buzzing and beeping and we had to run for miles to get here in time." 

The first boy pipes in. "We think it might be a bomb or something." 

Wilbur laughs incredulously. "And your best idea is to bring it here?!" 

Dream stands up from his seat and walks over to the group to study the bag. His face lights up and he kneels next to it. 

Everyone else either jumps back or towards him to keep him from touching it. He keeps his hand up and the room goes silent. 

The sound of the zipper being pulled is loud and it merges with the beeping of the "bomb" inside. A low pulsating light emerges and Dream laughs. 

"Oh, baby, i almost forgot about you, I'm sorry." He sticks his hand in and gently pulls out a small, white, blob shaped object. 

The other's bodies are leaning forward trying to take a look at the white form. It jerks in Dream's hands and stands up with a bounce. 

A few gasps and a scream from Tommy cause Dream to laugh, but he keeps his attention on the object in his hands. He wouldn't call it an "object" exactly. 

The blob figure stops beeping and instead stares at him, with its head tilted to the side. The simple smiley face is unmoving for a second or two, but the small dots for eyes flatten, resembling a frown and the blob starts chittering and jumping like it's mad at Dream. 

And mad it is. 

"I'm sorry, buddy, i didn't mean to leave you behind, i swear! I would never just abandon you like that." 

The blob keeps chittering and jumping around from hand to hand like it's pacing. 

"Hey-", the blob doesn't stop, "hey, listen-", still chittering, "i need you to-", the chittering goes even more frantic, "Tweet, stop!" 

The blob goes silent. Dream sighs and brings one hand up to pet its head with two fingers. 

"I really am sorry, but I'm glad I've got you back. I'll make it up to you, okay?" The blob seems to think for a moment then it nuzzles its head into Dream's hand. 

"What the fuck?" Tommy's voice cracks and he clears his throat. "What the fuck is going on? Tubbo, am i dreaming?" The other boy, the one with brown hair and horns, pinches him and Tommy jumps and rubs at the sore spot in annoyance. 

"That is actually a very good question, because...", the freakishly tall teen trails off and then squints his eyes at Dream, not menacingly, but in confusion. "Who is this person? Did i hit my head on the way here? Is my memory getting bad?" 

Tommy makes the introductions, but his eyes don't leave the blob in Dream's hand. 

"Dream these are Tubbo and Ranboo. Guys, this is Dream, Techno brought him home because he liked him, but now he pretends he doesn't like him as much so don't bring it up to him." 

Techno growls, but the blond teen only grins at him. 

"Cool. Nice to meet you, Dream." Ranboo waves at him and Dream almost returns it and drops the blob. He settles on a smile and a "you too." 

Fundy kneels next to Dream, his eyes trailed on Tweet who jumps on Dream's shoulder and hides his face into his neck. 

"Dream, what is it?" The fox hybrid extends a hand towards thr blob, but it starts vibrating violently and he retracts it startled. 

"This is Tweet. I made it. It's an android." 

"An android?" Fundy's eyes look like they're going to pop out of his head. He grabs Dream's shoulders and swiftly turns him from side to side to get a better look at the android. 

"Nah, that's an android", Ranboo points at one of the humanoid robots busying itself with something on the kitchen counter.  
"That's a small creature." 

Dream gently grabs the android and holds it in his palm against his chest, shielding it with his other hand. 

"He has an artificial intelligence system, which as you may know most androids have." Fundy nods, staring in awe. "But unlike the others made to just respond to commands, i programmed this little guy to be continously active, no key words, nothing like that. You can just have a conversation with it. The memory chip allows it to learn and pick up things on its own among other cool features." 

"Can i touch it?" 

Dream places his hand over Fundy's and guides it towards the android. Tweet chirps a few times, but doesn't move away this time. Fundy's fingers pet its head reluctantly. The hybrid smiles, poking where the android's belly would be. 

The blob doesn't react, but it looks at him with his head tilted. Dream chuckles. 

"It's so squishy. How is it so squishy?" Fundy retracts his hand and Dream lifts Tweet up to show it off. The three teens gather around it and the blob stands a little straighter this time, enjoying the attention and the way they're looking at him in awe. 

"He's made of organic matter, but also rubber which is what makes it so squishy, protecting it from damaging anything on the inside and well", as if on queue,Tweet jumps out of his hand, bouncing as high as the ceiling and landing on top of Techno's head. 

The room goes still. Techno is staring wide-eyed at Dream who is biting his lower lip so he won't laugh. The blob falls to its side and nuzzles its head against Techno's hair like a cat. 

Dream stands up. "Tweet, that's not very nice." The android protests, chirping and clinging more to Techno's head. 

Dream tries to reach for him, but quickly realizes that he's basically climbing on Techno. Techno's hands have fallen to his sides, looking up as if he could see on top of his head and then down into Dream's eyes. 

"He, um, he seems to like you." 

Techno looka up again and the white blob leans down to look upside down at him. The corners of the hybrid's mouth twitch. 

"Well he's not too bad either." He bends his knees enough for the height to not be a problem anymore, no matter how hard the android is trying to scoot away from Dream's hands. 

Techno clears his throat, backing away from him. "What was the beeping about?" 

Dream's face lights up. "A message!" 

He looks with a hopeful smile at the blob's face. "Who is it from, buddy?" 

Tweet chitters and emits a light from his head that expands into a hologram. Dream's eyes are watering before the message even starts to play. 

George's and Sapnap's faces pop up and the recording plays. "Dream, don't tell us where you are! We know you left with someone and damn I really hope you're okay..." George's voice is hurried and it tremors when he speaks. 

"We don't have much time. I don't know why they're doing this, but they're acting like we did nothing wrong, but that's not what matters." He pauses and looks at Sapnap who is just nervously biting his lip, keeping watch. 

"Dream, they're not looking for you and i think i know why. You need to take the chip out, you know, the one in the back of your neck. We never payed them much attention but i think they're going to use it somehow." 

"You need to take it out now. Maybe it's a tracker or maybe worse. Just get rid of it!" 

Sapnap turns alarmed. "We need to go! Take care of yourself, dude, we love you, but don't ever come back here." 

The recording stops abruptly. Tears are running down his cheeks in rivers. He hears a distant voice calling his name. It's Phil. 

"Dream?" His eyes shoot up in Phil's reaction. When did he even come in? 

"Dream, i think they sounded serious, so if you trust them, we should probably get on that." 

His hand reaches to touch the spot in the back of his head. He feels the bump through his skin. It suddenly feels hot and out of place. He's never minded it but now something feels wrong. His body wants to reject it. He needs it out. He nods. 

Phil takes it as permission and directs Tubbo to bring him in a different room, to the bed he first woke up in. He sits on the edge, turning to the side with one knee pulled against his chest and the other leg dangling over the edge. 

He hears movement behind him, shuffling and the smell of alcohol. He hears Phil asking him before he comes into view with a reassuring smile. "Do you prefer knife of laser?" 

"Laser." Less blood to clean. But something in his mind is screaming at him desperately. "No wait! Knife." He hums. "Yeah, knife is better." 

The sound of a blade being sharpened sends a shiver down his spine. He's not scared of the pain, it's going to be just an annoying stinging pain and that's about it. He's had worse injuries. 

That's not why his body is shaking and his heart is beating out of his chest. He's not scared of getting it out. He's scared of being too late. 

A cold hand rubs the spot behind his neck with the thumb and Dream flinches. Another hand settles on his shoulder. 

Techno's low voice makes him pause. 

"Breathe and relax. It's going to be quick." 

Dream takes in a few deep breaths and turns slightly to the side to nod at the other man to let him know he's ready. 

Phil walks to Techno's side with a pair of twizzers in his hands. The sharp blade sinks into his skin. He can feel the blood trickel down his neck. He doesn't move as Techno tries to find the metal with the twizzers. 

He doesn't realize when the chip leaves his body, being as small as a nail, if not even smaller. When the alcohol hits the open wound, however, his whole body tries to jump away, but the hand on his shoulder pushes him back into the mattress. 

The stitching is fine again, he's a little tender but he can't even complain with how gentle Techno is. 

When they enter the room, Fundy already has the chip under a scanner, looking at the large screen. 

The room looks like a total mess, parts and pieces scattered everywhere, equipment, lasers, screens, functional or not and many others. Phil has told him Fundy is their engineer so this must be where he works. 

He looks around, taking in some of the gadgets before he joins Fundy in front of the screen. He'll have to ask later what everything here does. 

His eyes roam over the scanned piece. Nothing stands out so it looks like they'll have to just wait for all the data to be uploaded into Fundy's computer. 

Techno strides into the room, shoving Tweet into his arms. "What the hell is he doing now? I can't stand it anymore." 

Dream looks at the android and he can't stop the giggle that escapes him. "Tweet, you remembered!" Techno is growing more and more impatient as the blob continues to light up in every color possible and tweeting a tune. 

"He's celebrating my birthday. Don't be mean to him. It's okay, buddy, thank you, you can stop before Techno's vein pops." 

"Listen-" Techno points a finger at his face and sqeezes his eyes shut before turning to yell at Fundy. 

"Make it fucking stop! Don't you hear it?" 

Dream looks between the two confused. "Hear what?" 

Fundy rushes to his computer. "I do but i don't know what it is. It's never made that sound." 

"Well it's getting worse so if you don't do something soon, i will." Techno's eyes widen. He grabs Fundy's arm and pushes him so he slides on the floor across the room and turns his back towards the computer. 

A faint continuous beep reaches Dream's ears and he's pushed to the floor, Techno's body caging him. 

The loud blast is bright and it makes his ears hurt so he burries his face into Techno's neck. 

They lay there on the floor as the ringing in his ears starts fading away and he realizes Techno is whispering something to him. His body is convulsing under the other and his eyes are burning. 

He can finally register what Techno is saying as he's petting his hair. "You're okay." and "You're fine." are registered by his brain but he doesn't know why the man's telling him this. 

Then he's pulled in a sitting position and into Techno's chest, his hand caressing Dream's back. 

He's having a panic attack, he knows this now, the pain in his chest gives it away. He knows he's fine but he can't help the feeling that he's in danger, that he's going to die. 

He can't breathe, of course he's going to die. It hurts, it hurts so much to breathe. 

Techno grabs his hand and presses it to his own chest. "Do you feel my heart beating?" Dream nods as best as he can. 

"Concentrate on it and listen to my voice." He feels the other's chest jumping with every beat. Techno's voice is harder to concentrate on but he tries. 

"Breathe with me. Inhale." They inhale together for a few seconds. "Exhale" for another few seconds. They repeat the process until Dream doesn't feel like his chest is going to explode. 

He's stopped crying. "That was supposed to be me," he croaks out, his own voice feeling like it's scratching the back of his throat. "It was going to blow my brain up on my birthday..." 

Techno is quiet, still petting his hair. They sit a little longer like that and the hybrid finally speaks. "Can you stand up?" Dream nods against his neck and he lets himself be pulled to his feet. 

The explosion didn't do that much damage, but it sure did destroy a good part of Fundy's computer. 

"I'm sorry", he whispers. 

Fundy shakes his head urgently. "No, there's nothing you should be sorry about. I can fix it anyway, it's fine." He tries a smile but he doesn't get one back from Dream. 

Techno seems to feel him slipping from his arms as his knees buckle under him and he slides a hand under his knees and carries him out the door, ignoring any questions from whoever they meet on their way. 

They reach a small room with a bed, different from the one they've been using since he's arrived. This one is tidier and more personal. 

Techno lays him on the bed. Dream's fingers manage to catch his wrist in a weak grip. "How did you know?" 

"Hybrids have better hearing. And i kind of pieced things together." 

"So you believe me now when i say they despise me?" 

Techno's fingers brush over the ones gripping his wrist. The room is dark and Dream has to fight his eyelids from dropping. His exhaustion hits him like an iron bat over the head. Techno's whisper sounds distant to him. 

"We need to talk some more, Dream. Sleep." 

He feels something soft and small snuggling against his belly, vibrating softly. He blacks out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you think Tweet is a bad name, i don't blame you, but i have a thought process, okay? He basically sounds like a bird...and i might make some jokes about it if i don't forget

**Author's Note:**

> god, I'm setting myself up for failure cuz i can feel this one is a long one and I'm gonna have to stay loyal to it for once  
> that is of course if people like it lol


End file.
